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County Commissioner · Washington County · 2026 Primary
County Commissioners act as both the lawmaking body and the executive branch for their county, meaning they pass local ordinances and oversee all county departments. They are responsible for setting property tax rates and adopting the annual budget, which determines funding levels for essential services like public schools, road maintenance, and emergency responders. Their decisions on land use and zoning also directly influence how your community grows and what types of businesses or housing can be built.
View all candidates in this raceTaj Smith is an independent candidate running for Washington County Commissioner in the 2026 election. She owns The Advocacy Junkie consulting, notary, and legal firm in Hagerstown and holds a degree in Human Services: Child & Family Welfare along with a Paralegal certificate. As a mother of three children—two on the Autism Spectrum and one with a seizure disorder—she brings personal experience advocating for marginalized groups. Her candidacy is grounded in extensive community leadership including serving as President, Vice President, Secretary, Legal Redress Chair, and Political Action Chair of the Washington County NAACP, plus roles with ACLU Western Maryland Advocacy Team and MD Immigrant Justice Table. She proposes implementing continuous meetings with municipalities to foster ongoing dialogue and establishing regular meetings with local nonprofits to identify service gaps.
Sources: Campaign website
"Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes" is my motto.
I believe our county deserves leadership that listens, values every voice, and works to bring people together—because Nothing Changes if Nothing Changes!
My life as a mother of three and my professional career have both been centered on one core mission: advocacy. I am ready to bring effective, compassionate leadership to Washington County.
Party politics has regrettably created a culture of division in our county, and our most vulnerable populations are consistently bearing the consequences. It is time to ensure that our county government is working cooperatively with every municipality.
I am committed to building a county government that listens to every resident and prioritizes collaboration over division.
Source: washco4tajsmith.com
Housing
Prioritize diverse housing solutions to create a sustainable landscape throughout Washington County. Advocate for state and federal legislation that supports housing solutions.
“"Mixed Use Development- Encourage projects blending residential, commercial, and recreational spaces with tax incentives for diverse housing" "Housing Trust Fund- Establish a fund to support developing and preserving varied housing solutions" "Land Use Policies- Revise policies for higher density housing near public transportation routes and promote accessory dwelling units (ADUs)."”
Economic Development
Driving sustainable economic development to attract new businesses, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy by ending the low-wage warehouse cycle and prioritizing quality, high-skill industries.
“"Implement the $30 Hour Standard for Tax Breaks provided by the Job Creation Tax Credit (JCRP)- Only grant the highest tier of tax relief to businesses meeting this minimum living wage benchmark."”
Infrastructure
Mandate Developer-Funded Traffic Solutions and institute performance based tax claw-backs for companies that fail to meet local hiring and wage goals.
“"Mandate Developer-Funded Traffic Solutions- A condition for approving new or expanded warehousing, developer must pay an upfront Traffic Mitigation Fee. Funds will be earmarked for local road, intersection, and infrastructure upgrades impacted by their development."”
Public Safety
Address challenges facing the community including affordable housing and economic opportunity to public safety and education.
“"With personal and professional experience advocating for marginalized groups, and as a single mom who has faced homelessness and poverty, I understand the challenges facing our community—from affordable housing and economic opportunity to public safety and education."”
According to Tri-State Alert, Taj Smith announced her candidacy for Washington County's Board of Commissioners at the Maryland Theater on Monday evening (October 13, 2025). She filed as an independent/unaffiliated candidate, meaning she will not be on any primary ballot in June of 2026. At the time of reporting, only three candidates had officially filed for the 2026 Primary Election including Republicans Randy Leatherman and Curtis Reigh alongside Smith.
“"Prioritize diverse housing solutions to create a sustainable landscape throughout Washington County."”
Source“"Driving sustainable economic development to attract new businesses, create jobs, and strengthen the local economy by ending the low-wage warehouse cycle."”
Source“"Mandate Developer-Funded Traffic Solutions- A condition for approving new or expanded warehousing, developer must pay an upfront Traffic Mitigation Fee."”
Source“"Land Use Policies- Revise policies for higher density housing near public transportation routes and promote accessory dwelling units (ADUs)."”
Source“"Institute Performance Based Tax Claw-backs - All tax credits will be performance based. If a company fails to meet its promised local hiring and wage goals within the first three years, the County will have the authority to revoke and recoup the tax credit and lost revenue."”
Source